Vermont Green FC Wins 2nd Straight Soccer Championship

A small-town Vermont soccer club just made national history, and they did it with 150 fans singing in the rain a thousand miles from home.

Vermont Green FC defeated Flint City Bucks 2-1 on Saturday to capture their second consecutive USL League Two championship. The win makes them the first team in over two decades to achieve back-to-back titles in the nationwide summer league.

Even more remarkable: Head coach Chris Taylor's squad hasn't lost a single match since July 2024. That's 42 straight games without a defeat, built on the talents of college players who come together each summer to represent Vermont.

Saturday's final was tense and close. The Green controlled much of the match but didn't break through until the second half, when an own goal put them ahead. Flint equalized almost immediately, but midfielder Ryan Zellefrow converted a 75th-minute penalty kick to seal the championship.

"It's probably the most emotional I've been at the final whistle," Taylor said after the game. "To do it a second year in a row, last year was magical, this is incredible."

The championship atmosphere extended far beyond the stadium in Michigan. Watch parties gathered across Vermont, from Rutland to Burlington, where nearly every home match this season has sold out the team's 2,500-seat venue.

The Ripple Effect

Mike Popovitch, who leads chants for the team's supporter group, has watched his kids grow up around Vermont Green FC. Both children now hold season passes, dreaming they might one day play for the team themselves.

"You're able to experience something that's just joyful and positive," Popovitch said. "It's kind of an escape for people from their hectic normal lives."

Club co-founder Patrick Infurna sees this championship run as just the beginning. He's building the team with the next generation in mind, creating cultural infrastructure that will outlast any single season. The goal is for today's young fans to remember this era when they're adults and build on it themselves.

Burlington has become an unlikely soccer hotspot in recent years. The University of Vermont men's team won a surprise championship in 2024, followed by Vermont Green's first national title in 2025. Last month, the club's women's team reached the national final in their inaugural season.

Both Vermont Green teams return to action next May, ready to chase more history.